Poor Man's Cake by Kathy from Virginia

The appetite often calls for dessert after a good meal, not to mention a little nosh, perhaps in the afternoon. But who can afford expensive treats and confections? If you have a few simple ingredients in your cupboard mainly flour, sugar, oil, cocoa, soda, salt, vinegar and vanilla, you’ve got what it takes to make Poor Man’s Cake. Do you prefer cupcakes? DaVita dietitian, Kathy from Virginia, advises that this batter makes them perfectly. The name might say “poor” but the taste says, “Yum.” If phosphorus control is an issue for you, and you love chocolate, PMC gets a thumbs up.

Kathy isoriginally from Beckley, WV and she’s lived in Virginia for 25 years. She attended West Virginia University and was initiallyinterested in nursing, but knew she would not be able to do some of the hands on things a nurse does. Kathy says she was led into the renal field because, “My mom was a dialysis nurse in the early 70’s. She opened the dialysis unit at the Veteran’s Hospital in Beckley.”

DaVita dietitians know both challenges and rewards. Kathy says, “The most challenging aspect of my job is keepingpatients motivated to follow their diets and maintain a positive attitude about it. The rewarding aspect comes in when I get to know the patient.” She tries hard to make a difference in patients’ lives by keeping them as healthy as possible so they can do the things they enjoy most in life. Kathy says she loves it when, “they keep me challenged by asking questions.”

Every health care professional hastheir own, individual approach when working with patients. Kathy describes her as, “I keep it fairly laid back. I keep it positive. The singlemost important thing patients can do to improve their health is totry their personal best to adhere to diet, medications and treatments.”

Kathy’s center in Richmond tries new activities and approaches to keep things fresh. She reports that patients are currently accumulating Phospho-Dollars for an upcoming auction, and enjoying the process. Kathy’s worked for DaVita for 19 years and admits she most enjoys the dietitian support and educational materials provided by the company. The teamwork at DaVita is a quality that Kathy notes as special.

Phosphorus control can be an ongoing issue for renal patients. If you love chocolate, and adore cake, but need to watch the phosphorus, Poor Man’s Cake was created just for you. Cupcake fans can also rejoice—the recipe adapts beautifully to making individual cupcakes.

This site is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from a physician.
Please check with a physician if you need a diagnosis and/or for treatments as well as information regarding your specific condition. If you are experiencing urgent medical conditions, call 9-1-1